Milwaukee Bucks: What we learned from Mike Budenholzer on The Woj Pod

Targeting self-motivated players

Woj asked Bud about the role of motivation in being a coach at the NBA level. Bud learned from Spurs coach Gregg Popovich that sometimes less is more when it comes to motivating players:

"“Every coach, it seems like you’re every day supposed to come up with something motivating or something super insightful, and reality is, you’re probably not going to do it, and so I think to keep things fairly simple, fairly clean, to the point, I think the players actually respect and crave that more than anything. If you’re just talking to fill air or trying to come up with something, after a while it doesn’t have much of a shelf life in my experiences and observations, and that’s for sure part of why Pop has been able to have such sustained success. It’s very direct and to the point. There’s not a lot of fluff or extra noise, and I think for especially pros and guys who are really intelligent, I think they really respect that, and when you do speak, it’s more powerful.”"

He also mentioned that he likes to coach guys who are self-motivated and bring that competitive edge daily:

"“You seek out players that are self-starters, and you seek out players that are really competitors is the word I like to use, we use a lot. Real competitors are usually self-motivated, but I do think great coaches are also motivators, and there’s no doubt, as much as all coaches try and probably downplay it a little bit, motivation is part of it, even at the highest levels and our level. Finding ways to keep guys engaged… I don’t lean on that card very hard, but I think to say that there’s none of that or it’s not part of my responsibilities or any coach’s responsibilities would probably be unwise also.”"

The recurring mantra regarding ideal player personnel during Jon Horst’s tenure as GM has been “high-character competitors.” That sentiment is very much echoed in what Budenholzer says here.

The drafting of Donte DiVincenzo in this year’s draft is a prime example of that player archetype. Despite there being arguably more talented and intriguing prospects on the board when the Bucks picked, the front office opted to go with a guy who they knew was going to bring a high level of competitiveness.

Whether that is the correct strategy going into draft night is very much up for debate, but regardless of how you feel about it, look for the Bucks to continue to have this mindset moving forward.

There were a lot of interesting topics addressed by the Bucks’ new head coach throughout this podcast. If you would like to listen to the full episode, Woj and Bud discuss much more about his time under Popovich with the Spurs, his experiences in Atlanta and the NBA in general.

Next: Milwaukee Bucks: Bidding farewell to Jabari Parker

For Bucks fans, it gives some deeper insight on Budenholzer’s vision for the team and what can be expected during his tenure in Milwaukee.